Fired Somers coach blames a few parents irked over kids' playing time, lack of captaincy

Former Somers Field Hockey Coach Marq Mellor was removed from his position because, he claims, of parents interference, player intimidation by parents and threatening texts that created divisions in the team.
Ricky Flores/lohud

SOMERS – When former U.S. Men’s National field hockey team captain Marq Mellor was recruited by Somers during the summer to coach the girls varsity field hockey team, he said he had a certain assurance.

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Marq Mellor, former coach of the Somers Field Hockey team, on Oct. 13, 2017, was let go by the district over what he believes to be parent interference and intimidation that created divisions on the team. He also claims to have received threatening texts from one of the parents who is also a JV coach in the district.(Photo11: Ricky Flores/The Journal News)

He said the school’s athletic director allayed his concerns about “parental involvement (that) can get over the top” and told him he could run the team as he saw fit.

Tuesday, Mellor was fired and replaced by physical education teacher Leigh Fiorito, a former field hockey coach.

Mellor and supporters charge that a small group of parents, fueled by their children’s resentment over position assignments, playing time, captaincies and the coach’s criticism of their play, bullied the school district into dismissing him.

He said those parents “claimed I was too loud, too critical and some players were embarrassed I pointed out their mistakes.”

Somers athletic director Roman Catalino, citing personnel restrictions, refused to comment Friday on what had occurred other than to say, “In the interest of everyone involved, we moved forward with the situation.”

Mellor, who runs an elite field hockey club program in Connecticut and previously coached at Bronxville and Mamaroneck high schools, said he regularly had his Somers players positively and negatively critique their team’s play.

“Maybe I was tough, but I was open and honest,” he said.

He met preseason with parents and encouraged them to come to him if they had any problems. He said none did and instead went to administrators.

Suspension first

Mellor was recently suspended from coaching three games while the district investigated complaints lodged by, according to Mellor, five players’ parents.

He was reinstated Oct. 2 after, Mellor and parents say, the district interviewed every player on Somers’ varsity and junior varsity field hockey teams, as well as some parents.

Brandy MacNeil, whose daughter plays on the varsity, characterized what occurred as a “modern-day witch-hunt.”

“I very much thought he was a good coach, in addition to being a talent for Somers,” MacNeil said. “My own daughter’s experience was very much enhanced by his presence. I was shocked he was fired after being reinstated. I was shocked, surprised and disappointed. I cannot understand how my school district’s athletic department has chosen to manage this situation.”

She added during the games she attended she never heard Mellor say anything offensive.

Mellor said the parents in question were "embarrassed" that their children either didn't start a game, had a captaincy removed for day for disciplinary reasons, or weren't chosen as a captain.

Taylor Turchick (6) jumps and celebrates with teammates after she scored what proved to be the winning goal in Somers' 1-0 win over Pawling during the opening day of the Somers Tournament.(Photo11: Nancy Haggerty/)

Offensive text message

He showed The Journal News a text he said he received from a parent.

It reads, “It’s not about the captainship a—h---. You’re a cancer and an embarrassment to this program and everything it represents. Do yourself a favor and don’t come back next week … you’re a dead man walking.”

The Journal News sent text to the sender for comment but was not returned.

Mellor said he had complained to administrators but no action was taken regarding he text.

“There’s a culture of dissenting parents who create enough headache to get their way.”

He said parents opposed to him sat in atypical spots behind the Somers bench to “disparage” him, and the district allowed four players to refuse to speak to him and forbade him to speak to them during his late game coaching

Monday, the team lost 8-0 at Mamaroneck.

During that game, Mamaroneck coach John Savage reported two Somers parents sat in a restricted area behind the Somers bench before the game and refused to leave until the Mamaroneck assistant athletic director and a member of security appeared and ordered them to sit in the fan section across the field.

“They were obnoxious and very unruly,” Savage said. “This was ridiculous and shouldn’t have come to that level.”

Parent Eileen Farina suggested the final straw for Somers administrators occurred with four players’ refusal to be addressed by Mellor either while on the field or sidelines during the Mamaroneck game.

Catalino attended the latter part of the game.

“I think, seeing that, the school wanted to end that,” Farina said.

One player, a team captain, stood about 10 yards from team during sideline huddles, Mellor said.

While technically in charge, Mellor said, after his suspension, the district assigned another employee to monitor his conversations with players.

Farina, whose daughter is on the junior varsity, said the team’s dismal showing Monday resulted from players who “shut down” and refused to listen to either their coach or teammates on the field.

Farina credited the team’s turnaround in a 3-0 loss to No. 1 Lakeland Thursday, to those players deciding to play and to Mellor’s past coaching, which “brought them to that level.”

“The man has tons of enthusiasm and passion for field hockey,” Farina said.

The issue came to a head at a meeting Oct 3 among parents of both varsity and junior varsity teams, school administrators and Mellor. The meeting occurred one day after his reinstatement.

Mellor said the meeting was heated with what some parents characterized as "vile" comments and untrue allegations about him.

“It boiled down to character assassination of him,” parent Helen Mahood said. “To be put in the position he was was unconscionable. It continued for one-and-a-half hours.”

She said complaining parents called into question Mellor’s “moral compass.”

“Do I think he’s tough? Absolutely. Do I think he’s meaning to be mean, no,” Mahood said. … “Some (players) want to go out and just have fun. He wanted every single one to succeed.”

It’s unconscionable that the squeaky wheel gets the oil,” she said.

Even supporters like parent Jerry Dineen allowed that Mellor, who instituted twice-daily practices this summer, had sometimes reduced kids to tears with his critiques.

Dineen, who is the New York Rangers' video coach, said that was the case with his daughter but she had benefitted from having him both as a coach at Somers and in his club team.

“Marq really brought out the best in her and made her a better athlete,” he said. “There were times she came home crying, saying he’d been tough on her. I’d say, ‘Go to tomorrow’s practice and show you’re better,’ and he commended her on that.”